Narrative:

VFR en route sjc-gnoss at 4500' MSL bay approach (127.0 MHZ) advised to descend and exit TCA, whereupon I replied that previous controller (135.4 MHZ) had cleared me 'through sfo tdc direct to gnoss, maintain VFR.' (TCA clearance was originally obtained over fremont/sunol at 3500' with squawk code.) at time I asked for previously controller's initials and was given telephone # to contact on ground. I promptly complied with instruction to exit TCA and descend and continued through to my next stop whereupon I contacted bay approach via landline. I was told that controller on 135.4 was a student, but that neither he, nor his instrument, recalled issuing a TCA clearance to me. I questioned if the tapes were listened to and was told negative. I then informed him that I needed controller's initials for ASRS report and he questioned what report was that. I explained to him and he asked me for pilot's name, certificate #, home base, address and telephone #. I gave him this and again requested controller's initials. He told me that he wouldn't give them to me nor his own and terminated telephone conversation at that time. I recall clearly that I was 'cleared through sf TCA to gnoss field, maintain VFR.' about the only thing that I could have possibly done to totally clarify this potentially dangerous situation was for me to totally read back clearance and require controller to acknowledge. Upon my afternoon return leg (gnoss-sjc) I requested again a TCA clearance from over mid-san pablo bay, direct. I repeated 3 separate times my TCA clearance west/O getting controller (127.0) to acknowledge that he had cleared me through the sfo TCA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: during reporter's telephone call with the TRACON supervisor, their relationship became very confrontational. When the reporter stated he was going to file an ASRS report, the supervisor professed ignorance of the program and threatened further action by demanding the pilot's name, address and certificate number. The FAA has taken no follow up action in this case. Analyst feels that when the tape was played at the 135.4 position in the TRACON, they found that the student controller had issued a TCA clearance to reporter. It does not seem that reporter did anything wrong and that this is a clear cut case of poor handling by the approach control facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CLEARED THROUGH TCA AND THEN TOLD BY NEXT CTLR TO EXIT THE AIRSPACE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE NO CLRNC WAS GIVEN.

Narrative: VFR ENRTE SJC-GNOSS AT 4500' MSL BAY APCH (127.0 MHZ) ADVISED TO DSND AND EXIT TCA, WHEREUPON I REPLIED THAT PREVIOUS CTLR (135.4 MHZ) HAD CLRED ME 'THROUGH SFO TDC DIRECT TO GNOSS, MAINTAIN VFR.' (TCA CLRNC WAS ORIGINALLY OBTAINED OVER FREMONT/SUNOL AT 3500' WITH SQUAWK CODE.) AT TIME I ASKED FOR PREVIOUSLY CTLR'S INITIALS AND WAS GIVEN TELEPHONE # TO CONTACT ON GND. I PROMPTLY COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTION TO EXIT TCA AND DSND AND CONTINUED THROUGH TO MY NEXT STOP WHEREUPON I CONTACTED BAY APCH VIA LANDLINE. I WAS TOLD THAT CTLR ON 135.4 WAS A STUDENT, BUT THAT NEITHER HE, NOR HIS INSTR, RECALLED ISSUING A TCA CLRNC TO ME. I QUESTIONED IF THE TAPES WERE LISTENED TO AND WAS TOLD NEGATIVE. I THEN INFORMED HIM THAT I NEEDED CTLR'S INITIALS FOR ASRS RPT AND HE QUESTIONED WHAT RPT WAS THAT. I EXPLAINED TO HIM AND HE ASKED ME FOR PLT'S NAME, CERTIFICATE #, HOME BASE, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE #. I GAVE HIM THIS AND AGAIN REQUESTED CTLR'S INITIALS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULDN'T GIVE THEM TO ME NOR HIS OWN AND TERMINATED TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME. I RECALL CLEARLY THAT I WAS 'CLRED THROUGH SF TCA TO GNOSS FIELD, MAINTAIN VFR.' ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DONE TO TOTALLY CLARIFY THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS FOR ME TO TOTALLY READ BACK CLRNC AND REQUIRE CTLR TO ACKNOWLEDGE. UPON MY AFTERNOON RETURN LEG (GNOSS-SJC) I REQUESTED AGAIN A TCA CLRNC FROM OVER MID-SAN PABLO BAY, DIRECT. I REPEATED 3 SEPARATE TIMES MY TCA CLRNC W/O GETTING CTLR (127.0) TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD CLRED ME THROUGH THE SFO TCA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DURING RPTR'S TELEPHONE CALL WITH THE TRACON SUPVR, THEIR RELATIONSHIP BECAME VERY CONFRONTATIONAL. WHEN THE RPTR STATED HE WAS GOING TO FILE AN ASRS RPT, THE SUPVR PROFESSED IGNORANCE OF THE PROGRAM AND THREATENED FURTHER ACTION BY DEMANDING THE PLT'S NAME, ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. THE FAA HAS TAKEN NO FOLLOW UP ACTION IN THIS CASE. ANALYST FEELS THAT WHEN THE TAPE WAS PLAYED AT THE 135.4 POS IN THE TRACON, THEY FOUND THAT THE STUDENT CTLR HAD ISSUED A TCA CLRNC TO RPTR. IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT RPTR DID ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT THIS IS A CLEAR CUT CASE OF POOR HANDLING BY THE APCH CTL FAC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.